Most grape varieties used for production of high quality wines around the world are of the species Vitis vinifera. These V. vinifera varieties, when cultivated in northern regions of the United States with a continental climate, are often subject to serious injury or death from low temperatures during winter. Although several wild Vitis species occur in colder regions of North America and eastern Asia, the wine made from these species generally has serious defects. Thus, there is a need for grape varieties that are winter hardy, yet produce fruit capable of yielding high quality wine. A grape breeding program at the University of Minnesota has been engaged in developing such varieties since the early 1980s.